UK taskforce targets illegal gambling advertising networks

The British government has set out how a new illegal gambling taskforce will work as ministers step up pressure on unlicensed betting businesses targeting UK customers.

Officials said the group would bring together regulators, payment companies, technology platforms, law enforcement agencies, trade bodies and gambling industry representatives. It will focus on disrupting financial transactions linked to illegal operators, limiting online advertising linked to unlicensed gambling and improving coordination between organizations already involved in enforcement work.

« The task force aims to identify solutions to the problems identified by the task force and its sub-groups in relation to the facilitation and promotion of illegal gambling, particularly online, » the government said in the published terms of reference.

The task force will be jointly chaired by the Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling and the Director of Sport and Gambling at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. While industry figures and companies will participate, the government said their identities will remain secret.

« The names of specific organizations and individuals who are members will not be published, » the document states.

Officials plan to run the initiative for the first 12 months before reviewing its structure and membership. Full meetings are expected at least twice a year, while smaller working groups dealing with specific issues may meet more frequently during the year.

The Illegal Gambling Task Force was launched amid growing concern about black market activity

The government has made it clear that the task force will coordinate information sharing rather than directly enforce gambling law. According to the framework, the group will not « direct or interfere with operational matters carried out by the Gambling Commission ».

The announcement comes as ministers and regulators step up scrutiny of black market gambling operations. Earlier this year, the government confirmed plans for a consultation to prevent unlicensed gambling companies from sponsoring British sports teams, including Premier League clubs.

Recent work by the Gambling Commission has also drawn attention to the growing concern about illegal betting websites. The regulator recently introduced a new reporting tool designed to help users flag suspicious gambling platforms more quickly, part of a wider enforcement effort targeting offshore operators.

The commission’s business plan for 2026-27 said search engine referrals to illegal gambling web addresses rose sharply in 2025 as investigators stepped up work on disruption. The concern has extended beyond the gambling sites themselves. Research shown in recent industry reports has found that almost all illegal sports streaming websites viewed in the UK contain black market gambling adverts, exposing viewers to unlicensed operators.

At the same time, licensed betting companies continue to warn that tighter regulations and higher taxes could drive customers to unregulated alternatives. The Betting and Gambling Council recently said that 28% of punters could consider illegal gambling websites if taxes on licensed operators were to rise further.

The government said the task force is expected to support cross-sector work between public and private organizations to improve disruption efforts and strengthen information sharing.

« The task force will bring together a range of stakeholders, including gambling authorities and law enforcement agencies to address illegal gambling, » the guidelines said, adding that participants will work together to improve « interagency cooperation and enforcement work on illegal remote and land-based gambling. »

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